Here’s the 2015 Lenten wallpaper keeping you up-to-date with all the big holidays and holy days between February 18 (Ash Wednesday) through April 4 (Easter Eve).Download the December 2014 Wallpaper:16:9 [2560 x 1440] · 16:10 [2560 x 1600] · 4:3 [2400 x 1800] · Mobile · FacebookThe wallpaper is available in sizes that will fit both widescreen and full screen monitors, mobile devices and a Facebook cover photo. Download the files directly above and enjoy this easy way to stay aware of important feasts and holy days heading your way.…

It was an unsettling moment in second grade when we discovered Ash Wednesday to Easter was actually 46 days. Sundays didn’t count. And the Lent day tally came to a grinding halt on Holy Thursday rather than Easter.
Obvious questions followed: Was I a better Catholic if I also avoided chocolate on Sundays? Did God love me more if I went above and beyond, or less for not following the rules? And was Jesus eating snacks at the Last Supper, seeing as it wasn’t technically part of Lent? Should I?
I wonder how much of this kind of mindset continues to lurk in the shadows of my recent Lenten journeys, pulling the strings as I give up or take up something. After all, it’s so much easier to point to rules and regulations and call…

For many of us who profess to be Christians (a dangerous journey), Lent looms in midwinter before anything green has sprung above the ice and snow. It seems cruel to think about giving anything up when the whole experience of winter is basically … giving things up. Being warm, going for long walks with your dog, sitting with friends and sipping wine — all of those things that make being human such a festive occasion.
Instead, five pounds fatter than I was in October, possibly drinking two glasses of wine per night instead of just one, and inhabiting a snarky, cranky space with my spouse, Ash Wednesday is upon me. Like a car going up an already rocky road, suddenly I hit the pothole that is Lent. The car shudders,…

Let’s face it: The Bible can be an intimidating read. After all, it’s a compilation of texts written 2,000 to 3,000 years ago in Hebrew and Greek. It’s full of strange metaphors, unfamiliar references and baffling context. Plus, the English we have translated it into is often stilted or archaic. Sadly, the most common translations of the Bible aren’t always “accessible” to most people without graduate degrees in scripture. So, even when someone is looking for moral guidance or spiritual sustenance and really wants to read the Bible, it is easy for them to give up on it.
But what if the Bible spoke like we do? Biblical scholar Eugene Peterson took it upon himself to write a translation that would do just…

Writer, student, bohemian, activist, poet, traveler, artist. Thomas Merton wore many hats during his 53 years of life on this earth. He played many of these roles throughout his restless youth before finally discovering a faith that spoke to his inner most needs, transforming him into the figure we best know him as today: a Catholic Trappist Monk — a role he would flee from and return to again and again. As a monk and prolific writer, Merton managed to connect ideas from Buddhist meditation with Catholic reflection to create a deeper level of connection between self and God. Across several generations, Merton has been inspiring young spiritual seekers to follow his journey and explore his methods while…

I just read about a man exploring prayer who would take out his iPhone, scroll through his contacts, and see which names jumped out at him — indicating people in need of his prayers.
“Cool!” I thought. What a wonderful marriage of technology and prayer. I tried doing it and found myself scrolling through my list of people, fretting about those I may have disappointed in myriad ways, worrying about family members facing health challenges, and wishing I could help friends unable to find jobs in this still wobbly economy.
As a writer, my mind tends to go galloping off in too many directions when I look at words and names. Perhaps images would work better for my restless, ADD mind. Then inspiration struck: Let’s…

Two weeks into the New Year and your resolutions — if you made any — have either started you on a path to self-improvement or left you feeling not quite up to the challenge. Invariably, some people will make a New Year’s resolution to pray more often (or at all!), and the effort comes to naught when they realize they don’t really know how to pray, or, perhaps, even what prayer is. So, why not get some help?
We often hire personal trainers, financial advisors, even dating consultants, to meet our goals. Why not find someone to assist us with our personal relationship with God? We call that person a spiritual director — someone specially trained in the art of spiritual direction.
Essentially, a…

Merry Christmas from Busted Halo!…
This year, for the 12 Days of Christmas we have 12 messages of inspiration from everyone’s favorite pope! Click the image of the day to view the message and come back every to see what surprise Pope Francis has for you.

Scripture needs to be meaningful for us, and your vision of the Nativity might just need a contemporary twist to bring the Christmas Story to life

Now, if there’s one story that every good Christian knows (and plenty of bad Christians, too), it’s the Christmas Story. (No, not the one with Ralphie and the BB gun. The other one with Jesus and the manger.) We all have pretty set ideas in our minds of what that story looks like, and it frequently involves images we’ve had stuck in there since childhood. You know the ones: the baby Jesus center stage, sleeping peacefully in the perfectly manicured manger, while Mary sits behind him, looking on dutifully with Joseph at her side. The wise men are kneeling in ladder sequence before the infant, while the shepherds are sitting docilely off to the side.
It’s a beautiful tableau, but it’s also pretty, well, dull.…

God takes on human form at Christmas -- and gives us an example for how to live our lives

When it comes to acronyms and short-form expressions, it can be difficult to keep up with our culture’s rate of production. How many of our parents out there (bless them) are still using “LOL” incorrectly?
There is, however, one acronym that has enjoyed a consistent appeal, even before the days of tweeting and messaging: “WWJD?”
“What would Jesus do?” It is a reasonable question to ask in moments of our lives when we are in need of an example of the right thing to do. However, when it comes to living our lives lovingly and joyfully, around Christmastime I am reminded of how the Incarnation — the event of God taking on a human body in Jesus Christ — can be an…

Our digital twist on the traditional Advent calendar brings a sense of surprise by showing you the whole calendar, but not letting you “open” each day and find out what’s behind the picture until that day comes along. Each day, the link will lead you to a special Advent-themed Daily Jolt and MicroChallenge.

Our preparations for Christmas often overwhelm us with occasions for waiting. We wait in line at stores. We wait for Christmas bonuses, travelling relatives, the mail carrier, the cookies in the oven to finish baking, and Santa. Waiting is not, however, a passive action. It’s dynamic and transformative! This virtual retreat will help you reflect on ways to grow in faith, hope, and love while we wait for the coming of Christ this Advent. (Click here for a printable pdf of this retreat.)GETTING STARTED­…
Find a quiet, comfortable place to experience this retreat — at home, outside, or at a local place of worship. Sit in stillness for a few moments. Try to gently quiet your mind. Listen to the sound of your breath.

Wanting to be a parent is perhaps the greatest human desire. Yet, for those for whom conception does not come easy, their deep desire is met with even deeper pain. Grief of losing a baby or not yet being pregnant often resurfaces or may feel more intense during the holiday season.

Catholicism is a faith that embraces both rituals and a “God of surprises” — an institution which, though intricate in structure, strives to be open to the unexpected movements of the Holy Spirit.
One could argue that our entire lives are similarly dichotomous — a dance between routine and preparation, and spontaneity and all that comes without warning. Advent is especially so.
Mark’s Gospel and the Second Sunday of Advent begin with Isaiah’s description of John the Baptist as “my messenger … who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”
Preparing the way of the Lord requires an understanding…

The days are getting colder, the nights darker; the month of waiting is upon us.
December is here which means Advent has begun and we can begin patiently anticipating the big day on the 25th, making sure not to forget other December celebrations like the Feast of St. Nicholas and the Immaculate Conception along the way.
Be sure to check out all of our Advent content including the Advent Surprise Calendar, the Advent Calendar Contest, and our latest Instagram Photo Challenge (InstaAdvent).Download the December 2014 Wallpaper:16:9 [2560 x 1440] · 16:10 [2560 x 1600] · 4:3 [2400 x 1800] · Mobile · Facebook…
And as a special Advent bonus, if you want to count down the weeks one candle at a time, click below to download

Black Friday: The big shopping day that follows the big eating and giving thanks day (although those lines are blurred more each year). There is something admirable about avoiding the frenzy altogether, but let’s be realistic. If you are going to venture out on Friday (or any other day of the Christmas shopping season), how do you avoid losing yourself in the consumer-driven, line-cutting, short-tempered mayhem? Here are a few tips for making it through the mall with your spirit intact:…

The recent news of parish closings and mergers in the Archdiocese of New York, one of the United States’ largest Catholic populations, reminds me of when I was facing the same closed doors.
During the “finale” of masses at my parish, St. James & St. Gerard’s in the Diocese of Buffalo, I remember sitting in the pew, watching the altar get blurry as tears were forming in my eyes. Even with the painful knowledge that the doors of my spiritual home were closing, in my memories there is a distinct sense of being surrounded by goodness.
I was encircled by a great community of people, and we all had history together. We felt like one body in Christ. The woman who said, “Peace be with you,” was a woman who sang in…

One evening, at the end of the day, chores done, chicken curry eaten, and dog walked, my husband and I sat together in the living room. It appeared to be a calm space where we would talk about nothing more significant than whether we should watch the next episode of Sherlock…, our favorite BBC series. But then, I opened my mouth.
At the same time I opened my mouth, feelings rushed in behind the words. I was feeling overwhelmed by the sheer nastiness and mayhem in the world: Iraqi children fleeing their villages, the destruction in Gaza, the beheading of journalists and humanitarian workers by ISIS, climate change, and countless other stories, which I strove to avoid but somehow could not. I’d already gone upstairs